More than a dozen firefighters were at the park around 6 a.m., laying about 1,000 feet of hose to reach the giant tree, which Wright said burned from the inside out.

"It's a logistical nightmare," said Wright, referring to the fact that the tree is not easily accessible for vehicles.

The tree, named after Florida Sen. M. O. Overstreet, who in 1927 donated the property on which the landmark sits, was 118 feet tall and its trunk had a diameter of nearly 18 feet. Park officials say the tree reached a height of 165 feet before a 1925 hurricane lopped off its top.

Lady Liberty, a 2,000-year-old 90-foot cypress tree located nearby, was not damaged.